SC to hear on September 8 contempt plea against TN for appointment of DGP in-charge

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai is scheduled on September 8 to hear a petition seeking contempt action against the State of Tamil Nadu for appointing G. Venkatraman as the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP)/Head of Police Force in-charge on August 31.

The contempt petition was filed by a Madurai-based lawyer Henri Tiphagne, represented by advocate Prasanna S., who has contended that the appointment of an ad hoc/in-charge DGP  was in violation of 2018 Supreme Court decision in the Prakash Singh case.

The plea submitted that the judgment required a State to send a proposal in anticipation of vacancy to DGP post to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) at least three months prior to the date of retirement of the incumbent. 

“However, the State of Tamil Nadu till date has not sent such proposal to UPSC within the timeframe of three months prior for empanelment,” the petition said.

Further, it contended that the apex court had specifically directed that “none of the States shall ever conceive of the idea of appointing any person to the post of Director General of Police on an acting basis”.

“However, contrary to the direction, the State of Tamil Nadu vide Police Note No. SC/19/2025 of August 31, 2025 has appointed G.Venkataraman IPS to be incharge of the post of Director General of Police/Head of Police Force, Tamil Nadu, on the retirement of Shankar Jiwal IPS. This is a clear and deliberate act of the state in violation of the court order,” the petition noted.

The petitioner said the High Court had earlier dismissed his plea as premature while underscoring that the “pre-appointment procedures, as contemplated by the Supreme Court and the consequential orders of the Government of India and the Union Public Service Commission, are to be scrupulously followed so as to maintain independence and transparency in the matter of appointment to the post of DGP in the State”.

The petition said the State had at the time said the process for appointment to the post of DGP was ongoing.